Earth Day. Windy day! Some Greek Easter stuff.

Today is Earth Day 2022. Everyone keeps telling me so. I thought it must be a recent innovation but Wikipedia tells me it’s been around since 1970.

Who knew? Not me! In 1970 I was busy finishing a degree course and for the next few years I was busy earning a living and starting a family. And being mildly aware of environmental stuff in the background. 

The Earth Day website tells us :

“EARTH DAY 2022 – APRIL 22
INVEST IN OUR PLANET 

This is the moment to change it all — the business climate, the political climate, and how we take action on climate. Now is the time for the unstoppable courage to preserve and protect our health, our families, and our livelihoods.

For Earth Day 2022, we need to act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably). It’s going to take all of us. All in. Businesses, governments, and citizens — everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable. A partnership for the planet.”

And so we are all being given advice from all sorts of people on how to lead a more eco-friendly, sustainable life. This mostly seems to consist of buying stuff from certain retailers. Another bandwagon has been jumped on. 

Today has been bright and sunny and amazingly windy! Two lots of washing blown dry in the garden! No tumble drier for me! How eco-friendly am I ?

The village shops having a poor supply of birthday cards and there being three birthdays coming up in my friends and family group, I decided to go to Uppermill to try my luck there, where they have more shops selling cards and trinkets - tat shops, in other words. I decided to kill two birds with one stone and arrange to meet my daughter and some of her offspring there. Walking through the housing estate by the old Delph Station, I watched two dustbins being blown over and a several empty plant pots go flying through the air. That’s how strong the wind has been. 

All along the Donkey Line there were bits of tree all over the place - not quite branches but bigger than twigs! Thinking of cyclists, I moved some of the larger pieces to the side of the path. And then I almost got  own down by a couple of cyclists. I suggested that a bell might be a good idea. I have a bell, one told me, and pinged it - a very feeble ping it was too! My own bell is much more effective!

The bluebells have barely got going along the Donkey Line. 

However, on Den Lane, above Uppermill, they are a little better. 

 

Before we dismiss Easter completely, here’s something a friend of mine who lives in Greece has sent me:

“Traditionally, families across Greece dye eggs red on Holy Thursday. Dying eggs red in anticipation of Greek Easter is one of the oldest and most beloved in Greece.

Along with candles, church services, lamb, and the sweetbread tsoureki, eggs that have been tinted with red dye are one of the most iconic symbols of Easter in Greece.

The symbolism of red eggs on Greek Easter

The red eggs hold significant religious symbolism, as the color red symbolizes the blood Christ shed on the cross.

Additionally, the egg in itself is a symbol—its hard shell represents the sealed tomb of Jesus—the cracking of which symbolizes His resurrection from the dead and exit from the tomb.

Due to its religious significance, the egg serves as an emblem of the resurrection, and its decorated Easter variations are globally recognized as a symbol of the most special day on the Christian calendar—Easter, the event that sealed the promise for eternal life.

According to some followers of Eastern Christianity, we owe the Easter tradition of painting eggs red on Holy Thursday to Mary Magdalene.

This tradition of some believers states that Mary Magdalene brought cooked eggs to share with the other women at the tomb of Jesus and that the eggs in her basket miraculously turned brilliant red when she saw the risen Christ.

Others relate a similar story with a few minor changes. According to tradition, Mary Magdalene, after stumbling upon Christ’s empty tomb, rushed to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor to tell him that Christ had risen.

The governor, however, didn’t believe what he was told and announced that he would believe Mary Magdalene’s claims only if the eggs in a basket next to him turned red, which they instantly did.”

There you go! My mother used to dye eggs brown using onion skins.

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!